Born in London in 2001, Lowlife set out to conquer an untouched market that brought the waistline to the forefront of fashion. In Conquering the belt market with their range of edgy designs, they have been embraced by an ever-expanding family of musicians,tattooists, skateboarders, BMXers, artists and designers. By absorbing these influences, flirting with pop culture and encouraging creative independence, Lowlife continues to expand and evolve. Lowlife is distributed in 19 countries and is sold in over 700 stores worldwide.

How often do you get to design a belt for one of the leading names in alternative fashion? Not very often, that’s when! Don’t Panic wanted to do something really different this time, so they had a word with Lowlife. Best known for their wide collection of eye-catching belts, they have offered up a blank canvas (well, belt) for a Don’t Panic reader’s design. This will then be put into production (subject to Lowlife’s discretion) to be seen and sold throughout the land, and the winner will also get a bunch of Lowlife gear. With bands including The Subways, In Flames, Gallows and Fucked Up all sporting Lowlife wear, your designs could end up on stages around the world!

Competition closes 28 August 2008. Visit the site for the full brief and design template.

Reel Venus Film Festival is a three-day event, which was created and launched in 2003 to showcase an eclectic body of current alternative and mainstream and established women directors, video and multimedia artists from the U.S. and abroad. The work should push traditional boundaries in storytelling methods that inspire, entertain, excite, inform and provoke its audiences with challenging topics, themes and images.

Reel Venus Film Festival is now accepting submissions for its 5th annual showcase which will feature the best work by emerging and established women directors/photographers/multimedia producers.

Final submission deadline is 30 August 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

Sponsored by NICHE magazine, the annual NICHE Awards competition celebrates excellence and innovation in American and Canadian craft. Categories include Ceramics, Fiber, Glass, Metal, Wood, Jewelry, Home Furnishings, Judaica, Recycled, Teapots and many more. Two new categories have been added to the professional division for 2009: Art Quilts and Fashion Accessories.

Entries are now being accepted. Entry forms, program guidelines and other information on the NICHE Awards can be found by clicking on the links to the left. Entry deadline for professionals is August 30, 2008. Deadline for student entries is September 30, 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

The Doc Competition was established in 1988 as a means to recognize outstanding achievement in contract design. The Doc Competition has become one of the architecture and design community’s premier benchmarks of success, attained by only the top professionals. Conducted annually by an independent jury, the competition honors superior achievement in contract projects that orchestrate color, space, form, function and materials with consummate finesse. In addition to honoring project design, the competition also honors carpet mills for outstanding achievement in product design. Carpet products are judged based on originality of design, overall aesthetic, pricing and usability in the contract environment.

Deadline for this year’s competition is 15 August 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

Following the success of last year’s ‘love your earth’ competition,
designboom and the DA design association japan have joined together,
along with TOBU DEPARTMENT STORE, to organize the ‘green earth’ international design competition.

Participation is open to applicants from every country in the world, to professionals, students, and design-enthusiasts. Free registration required. Deadline for registration is 26 August 2008. Visit the site to learn more.

At left: 2007 Oasis Award Winner, John van Allen.

Demand for outdoor kitchens is exploding. According to a December survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects, outdoor kitchens are among the most popular spaces being designed for residential clients. “Homeowners are requesting landscape architects design complete outdoor rooms, such as kitchens and bars, for entertaining.“

Submit a conceptual design for an exterior residential room appointed with pieces from Kalamazoo’s Custom Outdoor Kitchen Collection. Winning designs will be presented online and in the October ALSA Award issue of Garden Design.

Entries are due 1 August 2008. Visit the site to learn more.